Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Sion Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Sion

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,544 in Basel versus $3,365 in Sion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,518 in Basel versus $5,046 in Sion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,492 in Basel versus $6,727 in Sion.

Living in Basel is roughly 5% more expensive than in Sion, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 157% above, Sion 144% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.93 CHF 24.42

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 CHF 102

$92.4 CHF 75.4

35.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.69 CHF 15.25

$20.76 CHF 16.94

-9.97%

Cappuccino

$6.73 CHF 5.49

$4.43 CHF 3.62

51.92%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 CHF 5.17

$5.02 CHF 4.09

26.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 CHF 4.78

$4.00 CHF 3.26

46.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.34 CHF 7.62

$7.34 CHF 5.99

27.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.07 CHF 8.22

$7.50 CHF 6.12

34.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CHF 1.89

$2.08 CHF 1.69

11.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 CHF 2.49

$3.83 CHF 3.13

-20.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 CHF 2.71

$4.15 CHF 3.39

-20.00%

Eggs

$8.34 CHF 6.80

$7.44 CHF 6.08

12.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.21 CHF 21.39

$26.38 CHF 21.53

-0.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.85 CHF 22.73

$23.90 CHF 19.51

16.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.56 CHF 34.73

$40.76 CHF 33.26

4.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 CHF 2.99

$3.34 CHF 2.73

9.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 CHF 1.96

$1.73 CHF 1.41

38.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 CHF 2.44

$2.63 CHF 2.15

13.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 CHF 3.94

$6.17 CHF 5.03

-21.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CHF 1.46

$1.82 CHF 1.49

-1.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 CHF 1.59

$2.20 CHF 1.80

-11.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 CHF 1.90

$2.53 CHF 2.07

-7.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 CHF 1.36

$1.18 CHF 0.96

40.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 CHF 9.49

$11.15 CHF 9.10

4.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.24 CHF 9.99

$12.70 CHF 10.37

-3.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 CHF 2.03

$1.90 CHF 1.55

31.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CHF 2.59

$1.88 CHF 1.53

69.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.44 CHF 3.63

$5.39 CHF 4.40

-17.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 88.3

$189 CHF 154

-42.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.52

$6.36 CHF 5.19

25.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.59 CHF 3.75

$5.67 CHF 4.63

-19.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.0 CHF 71.8

$49.29 CHF 40.23

78.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.87

$2.28 CHF 1.86

0.44%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$44.2K CHF 36.1K

$36.3K CHF 29.6K

21.91%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$39.6K CHF 32.3K

$38.4K CHF 31.3K

3.31%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$299 CHF 244

$296 CHF 242

0.89%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$53.3 CHF 43.47

$23.00 CHF 18.77

131.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 CHF 53.9

$50.1 CHF 40.92

31.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.8 CHF 70.0

$139 CHF 113

-38.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.0 CHF 48.17

$55.9 CHF 45.66

5.52%

Cinema Ticket

$23.81 CHF 19.44

$20.53 CHF 16.75

15.98%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$3,026 CHF 2,470

$1,006 CHF 821

200.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K CHF 27.1K

$35.5K CHF 29.0K

-6.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 CHF 120

$169 CHF 138

-13.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.6 CHF 66.6

$58.6 CHF 47.84

39.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$164 CHF 134

$181 CHF 147

-9.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 162

$151 CHF 123

31.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 CHF 1,747

$1,250 CHF 1,020

71.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 CHF 1,247

$1,259 CHF 1,027

21.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,615 CHF 2,950

$2,378 CHF 1,941

52.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,890 CHF 2,358

$2,100 CHF 1,714

37.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.4K CHF 15.0K

$7,669 CHF 6,259

140.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.5K CHF 11.8K

$5,661 CHF 4,620

156.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,336 CHF 5,987

$5,988 CHF 4,887

22.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

2.15

13.02%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Basel: September 6, 2026

Last update for Sion: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,141 in Basel and $1,250 in Sion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 23% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $125 in Basel vs $92.0 in Sion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $597 vs $568 per month, with Sion cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Basel vs Sion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sion wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sion the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 23% higher in Basel, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,141 in Basel versus $1,250 in Sion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,026 in Basel versus $1,006 in Sion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Sion is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sion delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,365 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sion hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Sion are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sion gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.